Appendix 9

SUMMARY REPORT OF THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF SOUTH WEST
PACIFIC MINISTERS FOR AGRICULTURE

Apia, Samoa, 13 May 1996

Agriculture Ministers from the South West Pacific Region present for the FAO Regional
Conference met today in Apia, Samoa. This was the first time that such a regional meeting
had taken place.

The Ministers who attended the meeting included: Misa Telefoni Retzlaff from Samoa;
Baron Vaea from Tonga; Vaine Tairea from Cook Islands; John Falloon (Minister for
Forestry, Representing the Minister for Agriculture Lockwood Smith) from New Zealand,
David Mai from Papua New Guinea; Vincent Boulekone from Vanuatu, and Senator David
Brownhill (Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister for Agriculture John Anderson) from
Australia.

The meeting was opened by the Director-General of FAO, Mr. Jacques Diouf. Ministers
thanked him for his presence and opening comments. Hon. Misa Telefoni Retzlaff was
unanimously elected Chairman of the meeting.

The Ministers agreed that the opening of the FAO Sub-regional Office for the Pacific
Islands in Apia symbolized the increasing cooperation among regional nations on
agriculture, fishing and forestry issues.

Specific areas where increased cooperation was likely to produce mutual benefits were
identified. These areas included:

- complementing and coordinating the work of other international organizations to
minimize duplication and maximize countries' limited resources;

- attracting additional funding from international financial institutions to the
region;

- influencing the agricultural policies of the region to encourage the market forces
which will stimulate growth, including increased investment, and reform of transport and
taxation. This implies undertaking an analysis of the policy reform requirements of member
countries (including the costs imposed on agriculture by other sectors);

- working together to ensure that countries' fisheries resources are managed in a
sustainable way. Ministers agreed they would not wish to see the pursuit of food security
result in the exploitation of vulnerable marine resources;

- pursuing the practical implementation of sustainable forest practices. Ministers
considered a good example was provided by the recent formation of an ad hoc working
group on sustainable forest management in the region which arose from the FAO Asia Pacific
Forestry Commission meeting in January 1996;

- raising the profile and status of agriculture as an important sector of the economic
life of countries and as a desirable area of employment opportunities;

- ensuring that sufficient education and training opportunities in agriculture are
available in the region and are used to best advantage by member countries;

- improving the pest free status of crop production to facilitate trade by developing
effective plant protection and quarantine systems. This includes support of work
undertaken under the auspices of the Pacific Plant Protection Organization;

- considering the expansion of FAO membership in the region;

- increasing exchange of technology and information between the agriculture sectors of
member countries.

The Ministers noted that an example of recent cooperation was the recently held
Technical Consultation of South Pacific Small Island Developing States on Sustainable
Development in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The Ministers also to account of the
brief on the outcome of the Consultation, a copy of which is attached.

The Ministers agreed that the meeting had been constructive and useful. They considered
that it would be productive to hold further such meetings in future and that an annual
meeting would be a possible objective. It was noted that meetings could be held in
conjunction with FAO Regional Conferences or other relevant international conferences.